Chapter 16: The Encounter.
"The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to America to commemorate the alliance between the two countries during the American Revolutionary War. It was designed over ten years by the famous French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and stands as a symbol of freedom and liberty…"
Standing at the very top inside the Statue of Liberty, Nicole spoke with the confidence of a beautiful tour guide.
They had been in the Big Apple for two days now. Ryan and Nicole had visited many famous landmarks — they watched the colorful neon signs in Times Square, went shopping on Fifth Avenue, caught a Broadway show, and strolled through Central Park to experience the forest in the middle of the city.
After crossing the mouth of the Hudson River, they made their way back to Manhattan. Since they were just here to relax and have fun, they had no fixed plan or destination. They simply wandered wherever their feet took them and didn't care if they repeated a route.
"Ryan, why did you stop?" Nicole felt a tug on her hand and realized the boy holding it had suddenly frozen in place. "The Twin Towers are among the tallest buildings in the world. The observation deck on the top floor gives you a view of almost half of New York. Don't you want to go up?"
"Nicole, let's skip the Twin Towers. I don't like them."
Even though it was only 1990, the shadow of 9/11 from his previous life was impossible to shake. Ryan would rather die than set foot inside the World Trade Center. "Let's go to the Empire State Building instead."
"Alright then."
The Empire State Building stood on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Construction began in 1930, and together with the Statue of Liberty at the mouth of the Hudson, it was one of the most iconic symbols of the Big Apple — especially its famous colored lights at the top.
When they reached the observation deck on the 86th floor, Ryan gazed into the distance toward Long Island.
"What are you thinking about?" Nicole asked when she noticed he seemed lost in thought.
"Nothing." Ryan snapped back to the present and remembered the unfinished screenplay he had started that was connected to the Empire State Building. "Nicole, Pat told me some producers have been sending you offers?"
"Yes." Nicole nodded.
Unlike in her previous life, Dead Calm had reached American theaters earlier. Even more interestingly, Miramax had been the company that brought the film to North America. With the movie now playing in cinemas, Nicole was slowly gaining recognition in Hollywood, and a few producers had started reaching out.
"Unfortunately, they're all just pretty-vase roles." After the experience with The Sixth Sense, Nicole's standards had become much higher.
"I've already prepared your next screenplay." With the closeness between them, there was nothing he needed to hide.
"Really? Why didn't I know about this?"Nicole raised an eyebrow. "What's it about?"
"It's connected to the Empire State Building, but it's still far from finished." Ryan thought for a moment and added, "Here's a suggestion — don't accept any offers before The Sixth Sense is released."
"Why?"
"Because after The Sixth Sense, your price is going to skyrocket."
"You little rascal, you're that confident?"
Nicole sounded skeptical as she brushed his wind-tousled hair. "Where's the screenplay? At least let me read it. If it doesn't suit me, I won't take it."
"It's back home in Los Angeles. You can look for it when we get back." Ryan smiled. Unless he invited her, Nicole never touched his manuscripts — it was her way of respecting his privacy.
Not far from Manhattan and famous as a vacation spot, Long Island had attracted many people to settle there, especially after World War II. A large number of middle-class and wealthy Jewish families had moved in, many of them originally from Jerusalem.
After wandering around Winnetka Park, Ryan simply pulled Nicole into the dessert shop at the park entrance. It was the weekend, so the place was packed — mostly parents with children. Only one table in the corner was free. After ordering two slices of Black Forest cake and two glasses of orange juice, Ryan and Nicole sat down at that table.
"The taste is okay, but it's too sweet." These desserts were the natural enemies of beautiful women. Nicole took only a few bites before putting down her fork.
"No! No! No! I want it completely vegan!" A clear girl's voice came from the counter.
"Thank you, and one hot orange juice please!"
The girl carried a small tray, scanned the shop, and finally walked toward Ryan's table.
"Excuse me, may I sit here?" The girl asked very politely, showing excellent manners.
Ryan had been quietly chatting with Nicole and only noticed the girl now. The moment he turned his head and saw her, his eyes narrowed slightly. But he quickly lowered his gaze, hiding the ripple of emotion that had flashed through him.
"Of course!" Ryan replied just as politely. No one could have guessed the sudden shift in his feelings. After nearly ten years of constant "acting," a thin veil had long since formed over his expressions.
"Thank you!" The girl sat down beside him.
Ryan discreetly glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She had shoulder-length dark brown hair with a slight wave, an oval face with soft angles that wasn't particularly cute yet, and a touch of baby fat. Her brown eyes sparkled with intelligence, and the small mole on her cheek only added to her charm rather than detracting from it.
Although she looked younger than the version in his memory, she was still the actress he had loved most in his previous life. He had seen every public photo of her. In an instant he was certain — it was her.
"Hello, I'm Ryan Jenkins!" Ryan introduced himself calmly.
"Hello!" The girl nodded and said softly, "Natalie Hershlag."
Ryan didn't say anything more or do anything else. He could tell the girl was carrying a faint wariness. If the information he remembered wasn't too far off, this girl was far more mature and intelligent than her age or appearance suggested.
He finished his cake without drawing attention, and before leaving he said to the girl beside him in a casual tone, "Miss Natalie, it was nice to meet you. So… goodbye!"
"What a strange boy!" Natalie shook her head as she watched the boy and the tall woman walk out of the shop, then continued enjoying her food.
About half an hour later, Natalie left the dessert shop, got on her little bicycle, and headed home. Her family had only recently moved to Long Island. As a Jewish girl born in Jerusalem, her conservative doctor father had recently insisted she adopt a strict vegan diet. She couldn't say whether it was good or bad — it was a family rule, so she simply followed it.
Winnetka Park wasn't far from her house, but just as she turned onto the street in front of her home, an accident happened.
Only God knows how it occurred. As she made the turn, a kid she knew called out to her from behind. Natalie instinctively looked back — and her bike slammed straight into a boy standing on the sidewalk. The unlucky boy was knocked straight to the ground.
"Damn it!" Ryan muttered under his breath.
This was a total bolt from the blue. He had simply been standing there with his head down, waiting for Nicole who had gone into the convenience store. Out of nowhere, some reckless rider had crashed right into him — and the road was wide enough for four cars to drive side by side.
"I'm so sorry! Are you hurt?"
The voice sounded like a girl. Ryan replied grumpily, "Not dead yet — just broke my leg."
"Ah~"
Wait… that voice sounded a little familiar. Ryan looked up and his eyes widened in surprise.
"It's you?"
As if reading each other's minds, they spoke at the exact same time.
"Your leg is broken?" Natalie asked timidly.
Ryan sighed. Looked like he was getting this collision for free. He rolled his eyes. "Just kidding."
Natalie gave an almost invisible pout, but since the accident was clearly her fault, she apologized again. "You're Ryan Jenkins, right? I'm really sorry — I was too careless."
"Ryan, what happened?" Nicole came out of the convenience store, saw Ryan sitting on the ground with a fallen bicycle beside him, and hurried over.
"Nat, what happened?"
A Ford now pulled up at the curb. A middle-aged couple got out and walked over.
The situation was as absurd as a movie scene — both sides' backup teams arrived instantly. Natalie didn't try to shift blame and quickly explained what had happened.
Ryan wasn't actually hurt. After all the roughhousing he had done in the orphanage, his body wasn't that fragile. But Natalie's parents still invited him and Nicole to their house just up the street so the doctor father could check him properly.
"Mr. Avner, it's just a small scrape." Sitting on the living-room sofa, Ryan looked at his slightly swollen knee and shrugged it off.
"I'm sorry, Ryan. I was too reckless." Under her father's stern gaze, Natalie had no choice but to apologize again.
"It's fine. Nat — can I call you that? Thank you." Ryan smoothly took the opening and smiled. "Mr. Avner, don't blame Nat. This was partly my fault too."
Nicole sat beside Ryan and gently rubbed his knee. Seeing it really wasn't serious, she pulled his rolled-up pant leg back down. After all, it had only been an accident. Ryan wasn't hurt, and the person responsible was an even younger girl, so she didn't say anything more.
"Jerusalem — so you were born in Israel?"
While Nicole chatted with the Hershlag couple, Ryan had already managed to pry most of Natalie's background out of her. Yes, she really was both smart and mature, but compared to Ryan she was still too young.
"Yeah, we only moved to New York a short while ago." As Natalie spoke, she carefully studied the boy's face. "Ryan, are you Jewish too? Your features look a little Jewish."
What a sharp and observant girl! Ryan sighed inwardly.
Honestly, he didn't know his exact bloodline, but according to what Director Katie had guessed from his appearance, there was probably some Northern European ancestry, while his eyes and brows carried faint Jewish traits.
In the end, Ryan had summed it up himself: he was the most mixed-up little white kid possible.
Even so, the visit ended on a friendly note. After saying goodbye, Ryan and Nicole left the Hershlag house.